Flora, after the Antique c. 19th century

Editor: So, here's "Flora, after the Antique," by Jean-Baptiste-Raphael-Urbain Massard. It looks like a print. The figure feels very still, almost like she's frozen in time. What can you tell me about it? Curator: It is a lovely, tranquil work, isn't it? I imagine Massard was trying to capture the timelessness of classical beauty, distilling the essence of Flora, the Roman goddess of springtime. I wonder, does the linear precision strike you as particularly… Neoclassical? Editor: It does now that you mention it. It's like he’s stripping away any excess emotion, focusing on pure form. I guess I didn’t really "see" it until you pointed it out. Curator: It’s funny, isn't it? Sometimes all it takes is a nudge, a little whisper of context, and suddenly a whole world blossoms open.